Adjustable wheel chair arm rests



July 7, 1964 OFFNER 3,140,119

ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CHAIR ARM RESTS Filed July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

July 7, 1964 E. OFFNER 3,140,119

ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CHAIR ARM RESTS Filed July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ce 3,140,119 ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CHAIR ARM RESTS Edwin Olfner, 175 E. 83rd St., New York, N .Y. Filed July 3, 1962, Ser. No. 207,367 Claims. (Cl. 297-417) This invention relates to wheel chairs for persons that are incapacitated due to accident or illness.

One of the objectionable aspects of conventional wheel chairs is the fact that the arms thereof do not permit the chair to be positioned partially underneath a table so that the user can conveniently and comfortably eat or read or the like, while still providing a degree of arm support such as may be necessary for some invalids.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a Wheel chair incorporating conventional side frames, but wherein the arm rest is horizontally forwardly adjustable to either a normal extended position, or retracted to a rearward position so as to render the wheel chair capable of being positioned so closely to a table or the like that the user can perform certain functions with comfort as above set forth.

An important aspect of this invention is that the arm rest is functional in either position. In other words, an invalid will be provided with some degree of arm rest in either adjusted position thereof. I provide the above mentioned adjustability with structure which is simple and which responds to the users simple pressure, for providing the adjustment. It is obvious that an invalid may be unable to perform complex or difficult manoeuvres. However, the arm rest of this invention may be retracted by simply pressing against the front face of the arm rest, the required physical movement being very simple. Forward movement to the normal position requires merely the forward actuation of the arm rest.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a wheel chair constructed according to the instant invention, the arm rests being shown in normally extended position, most of the arm chair as well as the retracted position of the arm rests being shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, exploded, perspective view of a wheel chair side frame and arm rest assembly constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 5 is an exploded view of a modified form of side frame and arm rest assembly constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the modified form, the full lines showing the retracted position; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

The basic construction of the wheel chair described herein is essentially conventional. As is well known, such a chair is made up of sturdy metal parts, which may comprise a tubular frame, and forming two side frames 10. Each side frame comprises an inverted U-shaped frame section 11 which has a top horizontal bar 12 which is somewhat below elbow height when the user is seated. Section 11 has front upright 11a and rear upright 11b. Front frame section 13 is connected to upright 11a, but is of lesser height. The legs of the frame terminate of polygonal feet 14 which are received in receptacles or sockets 15 provided on the seat 16.

Arm rests 17 are normally fixedly secured to top bars 12 and may be of wood or any other suitable material such as plastic or the like which may be cushioned if de- 3,140,119 Patented July 7., 1964 sired. According to my invention, however, means are provided to horizontally shift or adjust the arm rests to either a normally forward advanced position or to a retracted position.

Referring to FIGURES 14, connected to top bar 12 is a first elongated tubular or channel member 18, the plates 19 and 20 being welded to the top face of member 18 and being bolted to bar 12 by bolts 21 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. 1

Slidably and supportably disposed in channel member 18 is elongated complementarily channel shaped member 22 which is about twice as long as member 18 and protrudes through both ends thereof. The free slidability of member 22 within member 18 is modified by locking means as will be hereinafter described.

Arm rest 17 is fixedly connected to channel member 22 with which it is longitudinally co-extensive. This connection may be effected by employing screws 23 and spacing washers 24.

Means are provided to lock the member 22 in either a forward or a retracted position relative to fixed channel member 18. Such means takes the form of block 25 which is fixed within and approximately centrally of slidable member 22. A coil spring 26 is housed within a central recess in block 25 and exerts outward tension on a ball detent 27 which protrudes slightly less than half its spherical diameter through a lower opening formed in member 22.

Fixed channel member 18 is formed with a forward adjustment opening 28 and a rearward adjustment opening 29 adapted to seat the protruding portion of ball detent 27.

The operation of the improved wheel chair will be apparent from the above description. Briefly, the arm rest assembly will normally be in the full line position illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. When the user desires to approach a table or the like to an extent where front frame section 13 may be disposed under the table top so as to facilitate eating activities or the like, the user will simply press against front face 17a of arm rest 17. This pressure will unseat the spring loaded ball from forward opening 28, against the action of spring 26, and will permit the arm rest to be rearwardly slid until the ball reaches and snaps into rearward opening 29.

When the arm rest is in its retracted position, its front face 17a is slightly rearward of front upright 11a so that the arm rest offers no obstruction toward nesting the frame section 13 under a table. Nevertheless, and what is of great importance, the arm rest will still offer arm support although, of course, to a more limited but very satisfactory extent when the arm rest is in the above described retracted position.

FIGURES 5-7 disclose a modified embodiment where the elongated fixed channel member 35 is integrally secured to uprights 36 and 37 as by welding or the like. All the other components are the same as shown in the first embodiment.

It will be observed that the arm rest remains horizontal and functional as an arm rest in either position of adjustment and it is further obvious that as many positions of adjustment may be provided as desirable, this requiring simply the use of more openings such as openings 28 and 29. It will be further observed that the front face 17a, when the arm rest 17 is in its normal forward position, is approximately vertically co-incident with the front face 16a of the seat 16 as indicated in FIGURE 6. However, when the arm rest is retracted to a rearward position, said front face 17a is disposed approximately one-third inwardly of said front face 16a, or about one-third inward of the extent of said seat 16. This assures that adequate horizontal arm rest means is provided notwithstanding the above described arm rest adjusting means.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions may be made therein without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

l. A wheel chair having rolling wheels and having side frames, said side frames comprising a frame piece of substantially elbow height when the user is seated in the chair, and an arm rest assembly mounted on said frame piece, said assembly comprising a horizontally slidable member, means connecting said horizontally slidable member to said frame piece, and an arm rest secured to said horizontally slidable member whereby said arm rest may be slidably advanced to a forward position or retracted to a rearward position, whereby said wheel chair may be rolled towards a table and said arm rest may be retracted to permit the wheel chair to further approach the table.

2. A wheel chair according to claim 1 and wherein the slidability of said arm rest to either position is in a horizontal plane.

3. A wheel chair according to claim 2 and wherein said frame piece includes a top horizontal bar, said means comprising an elongated member secured to said top horizontal bar, at least a pair of horizontally spaced adjustment seats on said elongated member, and means on said horizontally slidable member for mating with a selected one of said adjustment seats for determining the position of the arm rest.

4. A wheel chair having rolling wheels and having a back and a seat and including a horizontal arm rest, means supporting said arm rest a substantially elbow height when the user is seated therein, and further means for advancing said arm rest to a normally forward position or to a rearward position while still maintaining said arm rest horizontal at all times whereby it may serve as horizontal arm supporting means in either of said positions, and whereby said wheel chair may be rolled towards a table and said arm rest may be retracted to permit the wheel chair to further approach the table.

5. A wheel chair having side frames, said side frames comprising a frame piece of substantially elbow height when the user is seated in the chair, an arm rest assembly mounted on said frame piece, said assembly comprising a horizontally slidable member, means connecting said horizontally slidable member to said frame piece, and an arm rest secured to said horizontally slidable member whereby said arm rest may be slidably advanced to a forward position or retracted to a rearward position, the slidability of said arm rest to either position being in a horizontal plane, said frame piece including a top hori zontal bar, said means comprising an elongated member secured to said top horizontal bar, at least a pair of horizontally spaced adjustment seats on said elongated member, and means on said horizontally slidable member for mating with a selected one of said adjustment seats for determining the position of the arm rest, said last named means comprising a spring loaded ball detent mounted on said horizontally slidable member, said adjustment seats comprising openings formed in said elongated member for removably receiving and seating said ball detent, said elongated member being channel shaped, said horizontally slidable member being complementarily channel shaped and snugly slidable within said elongated member, said horizontally slidable member being longer than said elongated member and protruding through both ends thereof, said arm rest being longitudinally co-extensive with said horizontally slidable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 945,908 Chandler et al Ian. 10, 1910 1,703,004 Hellstrand Feb. 19, 1929 2,713,891 Lindquist July 26, 1955 2,730,423 Mock Jan. 10, 1956 2,841,212 De Vos et a1 July 1, 1958 3,025,108 Teague Mar. 13, 1962 

1. A WHEEL CHAIR HAVING ROLLING WHEELS AND HAVING SIDE FRAMES, SAID SIDE FRAMES COMPRISING A FRAME PIECE OF SUBSTANTIALLY ELBOW HEIGHT WHEN THE USER IS SEATED IN THE CHAIR, AND AN ARM REST ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME PIECE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY SLIDABLE MEMBER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID HORIZONTALLY SLIDABLE MEMBER TO SAID FRAME PIECE, AND AN ARM REST SECURED TO SAID HORIZONTALLY SLIDABLE MEMBER WHEREBY SAID ARM REST MAY BE SLIDABLY ADVANCED TO A FORWARD POSITION OR RETRACTED 